


An Endsummer Dream

by J0K3ROfHearts



Series: Cat King [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: (or soon enough), After-Interrogation Akira, Angst, Depressed!Akira, Fluff and Angst, Interrogation, Joker (Cat), Other, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scars, Stressed!Akira, aka the aftermath of it, akira is the Cat King, can i protect him, cats!! lots of them!!!, i love akira holy shit, like holy shit he gets fucked up real bad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 22:41:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19473688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J0K3ROfHearts/pseuds/J0K3ROfHearts
Summary: Akira's post-interrogation PTSD isn't looking all that well. He's afraid of anything. He's vulnerable. When someone touches him, he can't take it. It almost feels as if he's being choked. Akira walks to school, and finds an alleyway of stray, abandoned cats there. He feeds them every morning he walks to school just before going to class - and wastes no second caring for them and showing just how much he loves them by showing up everyday. He just can't have them because his studies, Leblanc and Phantom Thieves work is too much, and Sojiro wouldn't like it, anyway. He knows how strict he can be.In addition, Akira has moles spread across his body, all resembling experiences he'd undergone that was important to him. Every single one of the Phantom Thieves have a mole on him that belongs to them. Akira embraces his inner goth as well, and he wears nothing but gothic clothing in public to be dramatic.





	1. Strays

The air was foggy - not at all humid. It was cold today - a harsh winter for the strays and abandoned cats he used to feed on his way to school everyday. Akira had to set a reminder to go to the convenience store and buy containers for every new cat he found - usually, the cats in the area would have more kittens, which made him spend even more money on them, and found himself spending even more on the food alone.  
  
Alas, on his way there today, Morgana's bag had been slung across his shoulder, carrying the cat to school. He couldn't help his kindheartedness - he just loved helping others, and he liked doing kind things for other people. …Today was an unfortunate day. A new stray cat had appeared in one of the corners of the alleys near Shujin Academy - seemingly suffering from hunger, the poor thing's ribs poking out. " _…No, no, baby, baby,_ " he muttered underneath his breath, his tone softening as he took the cat in his arms. He scratched underneath the poor thing's ears, seemingly being as fragile as it was worth. The messy-haired boy's hair's curls flared upwards in response, keeping the cat close to his chest as it made a noise. It was a maine coon, which was rare - if at all, he'd never seen this type of cat before in real life. Especially not hanging around this area where the strays were waiting for him to come every morning and feed them, waiting expectantly, knowing there was not a day he would forget about them. The cats found to take a liking to the raven, and accepted the food, as usual.  
  
He inspected the feline's body structure, and he winced so hard he put her down, unable to keep staring any longer.  
  
" _…Stay put. I have some food for you. You're going to be okay._ "  
  
The Wild Card dug into Morgana's bag, finding a container with an assortment of fatty tuna in it, and opened it and set it down in front of the cat. It settled down and started to eat, and from around the corner, a pitch black cat with dark grey eyes just like him with the same trademark smirk looked into Akira's eyes, and he did the same. "…Hey, Joker!" He stood up to wander over to him, and the pitch black cat came running and cuddled all around his foot lovingly.  
  
"Come here, you handsome boy! Who's a good boy? Youuu are! Joker is! Who's the best Phantom Thief!?"  
  
He scratched underneath his ears and pet his head repetitively, a light purr coming from the actions, with Akira beaming brightly and laughing a little. Morgana gazed down at the other with jealousy, scorn laced in his expression. "…Akira, let's go. You're going to be late." He stood up, and Joker started dragging himself across the ground as he tried to walk, and the Phantom Thief sweatdropped, finding it difficult to make him let go. "J-Joker, you can let go now -" and it did just that, and he let out a sigh, standing up before both cats started meowing loudly at him, and he waved goodbye. " _I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry!_ "

END


	2. Don't Touch Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira's interrogation PTSD isn't looking too well for him. How long can Akira last before Akechi finds out what's really going on?
> 
> The other Phantom Thieves seem to be concerned, too. This time around, Akira embraces his inner goth, and sort of opens up a bit. Fluff included???

Pat. Claw. A claw to the mole on his face.

" _...Oh, these, Joker? These dots are called moles. Alternatively, I like to call them beauty marks_."

"...Mrreeow?" The pitch black cat tilted his head in confusion.

" _Yeah. I have a mole here, here, and- here,_ " he muttered, pointing out the mole on the right side of his chin and the one underneath his left eye - sliding his turtleneck down his pale skin as he exposed the two moles going down diagonally the bottom of his neck. "Here, too," he said, laughing a little as he pressed his finger against the second beauty mark as the messy-haired thief tilted his head while his eyes gleamed beneath the lenses of his glasses.

"...Mreow, meeeeeow… meow?" he mewed.

" _I just have moles all over. I'm not exactly sure why. I was just born that way, or I must've gotten more over the semester…_ "

That was definitely a possibility. …Connecting the dots, maybe the moles were earned because of the experiences he had undergone of saving the Phantom Thieves from their issues in the past? They were all extremely important to him. But, Akechi… he still didn't have his mole yet. He hadn't earned the eight marking on his body, at least, he had checked how many he'd had on his body before - and always checked if there was ever a new one.

...But that wasn't normal. This had to be some sort of skin condition, right? Moles randomly appearing on his body wasn't normal. And the fact that he had so many was jarring - on his legs, his chest, his arms, his fingers. They varied, however. They were all placed in perfect spaces. He wasn't COMPLETELY covered in them, though. It wasn't super weird looking, or, at least, over the top. But it was still just a little cute for him to have so many moles.

The first mole, the one on the bottom of the right side of the goth's chin (in his perspective) - that was the accomplishment of harnessing his Persona, and utilizing him in Kamoshida's Palace to save both himself and Ryuji. 

A yellow, orange-ish tabby with a scar across the skin of it's eye struggled to walk - he was just a kitten, after all - and he'd only had three legs. Akira had to admit, he'd never seen this one before. And he'd seen a lot of them over the course of the year, like Caramel, Blacky, Keiko, and a lot of others.

Joker turned around, his impending gaze landing onto Ryuryu as he swished his tail, biting him by the scruff of his neck and bringing him closer to the Persona-user. The kitten could only meow in response, as Joker's eyes suddenly looked a bit downcast. "…Is he hungry? I've never seen this one before… awh, poor thing," Akira muttered, taking him out of the other's paws.

" _...Come on, I'll patch you up._ " Joker's tail swished side to side expectantly in the process.  
  
He retrieved a wipe to clean the scar on his eye, wincing a bit when he had to touch it. The scars and effects Akira had endured during his interrogation -- he couldn't just shake that off. No way. But he had to stay quiet about it. The obsidian-haired second-year's eyes narrowed, his lip quivering in his own fear. Wallowing about that now…? About how weak he was? This wasn't the time for it. None of these cats would understand him, either. The black eyeliner along his eyes, as well as pink lipstick - he'd embraced his inner goth, not that long ago. It was a very nice look for him, he thought. Even sometimes in public, it was fun to wear attire that was too extra for a public image. It matched with his look, though. He fluttered his lashes, picking up Ryuryu as he shook his head, the raven rubbing his nose with his. " _…Promise me that you'll be stronger than I could ever be,_ " he says, voice hitched, as if he was about to cry, his breaths quivering.

Akira fluttered his lashes, swallowing as he began to slightly shake. It wasn't a question - it wasn't like an everyday conversation, in some fake, made up fantasy - this was reality, and it was a statement. A statement that could well be rest-assured. He felt like his body was weakened - that he was so much more vulnerable in a state like this - but he had to be strong. Strong for these cats. Even if he'd ran himself broke, he would still keep feeding them. He would find a way. He would find a way to not disappoint. He looked as vulnerable as a deer in headlights - apprehensive, like a lost animal carried in the rain, with nowhere to go, even with the accentuated lines beneath his eyes... " _…You have a deformity. So, please… Do your best. If I can do it, so can you, right? I know it's not easy._ "

  
His tone was soft; sincere. He trembled dazedly, trying to keep himself steady. The cat only gave the goth a look back in response that questioned what he'd said, as if it didn't know what language he was speaking. A smile coyly dawned upon the fluffy-haired boy's lips, petting his fur while setting him down and retrieving a container of cat food as someone had stopped behind him.  
  
...Someone, with amber eyes. Holding a briefcase, with black, tacky gloves. The Phantom hummed in contentment, unaware of the other's presence.  
  
"...Ma'am?" They were in the limelight. And Akira was trapped in an alleyway, as well as got his gender confused. Well, the other couldn't see very much in this alleyway, anyway. …Today was a Sunday, right. There was no school today. The voice of a very familiar detective resonated in Kurusu's ears, and he hesitated. Hesitated to move.  
  
Joker immediately went on the defensive, as well as a horde of about twenty other cats started hissing and surrounding themselves with eachother. It was what seemed like thousands of predatory, bloodthirsty eyes lowered on command - clear, icy with protective instinct. The Phantom Thief looked so fragile and delicate, but what looked so beautiful and feminine… was truly petrifying. The expression on the Detective Prince's face reflected nothing but mere inquisition, sincere crimson hues masking the evident betrayal inside them.  
  
The cats only sauntered closer. With each step they took, it seemed more ominous as the hisses and growls seemed to get more prominent, leading the other out of the alley. "H-Hey, please, I just want to talk-!" The prince was driven to back away, still eyeing the boy in the black turtleneck, the hair a little bit familiar. This boy also seemed to be wearing black wrist cuffs with white metal as the highlights, as well as some black wrist jewelry and black wrist cuff bracelets with spikes. He blended in too much to his surroundings for it all to blend together. Akira called them all off with a dismissive flick of his hand, and slowly stood up.  
  
"...Ku...ru…su-kun…? What are you doing h—"  
  
" _Akira._ " He interjected instantly, haste and ferocity laced into his tone, as if he had no time to waste.  
  
"...Sorry for calling you a girl, you… looked very unidentifiable from behind—"  
  
" _Haha. Yeah_." The Phantom's slight grin cracked into a fake smile, all for his eyes as he turned around.  
  
"...Very nice choice of attire. I like the sense of aesthetic you were going for, it suits you quite well."  
  
Akira couldn't trust him. Trust no one. Could he even be considered a friend after what he'd done? He knew they'd gotten over that "betrayal" part of their relationship, so why was there hesitance? …Maybe because Akechi could hurt him at any second right now? …He had to leave. Make up a lie. An excuse. Anything. " _I have work in a few. Can't talk much. Sorry._ " The raven-haired goth pushed aside Akechi with his shoulders, keeping his black-polished fingernails close to his sides as he had his head lowered to where his face was peerless - only a shadow lingering over it, as if he had seemingly no expression. "…I... see." _…Akira's…_  
  
From here, he could see his scars. His bruises, his cuts, spread out across jewelry-glossed arms. He'd never seen them before. After taking on the whole world, keeping the Phantom Thieves in check and taking down targets, interrogation and serving jail time months on end all on top of each other - he was still just a teenager, and the fact that he could endure all of that and still be standing was astounding.

He'd been too harsh on him. Should he have said anything? Even right now? 

" _Phantom Thieves meeting has been cancelled today. I'll be sure to notify the others as soon as possible._ "  
  
"...Akira… May I ask… why that is?" He sounded genuine this time. And no other voice could make him feel any other way.  
  
Silence. Cold, persistent silence. That stung more than even the harshest response. The cats all went back into hiding, gathering to eat what he had left them, as the ravenette adjusted his glasses and had vanished within the span of seconds. Suddenly, Akechi's phone vibrated, with the same message coming from Akira, but, more or less, more vaguer. ' _The meeting today has been cancelled._ ' The rest of the Phantom Thieves had seen this message instantly, wondering how he'd been faring. "…Oh, it's OK!" said Futaba, wincing a bit on the other side of her screen.  
  
Wait, why dude?" Ryuji tried to reason.  
  
"...Akira? Are you alright?" Yusuke texted back.  
  
"...Akira, if something's up, you should tell us. We would be glad to help you. You've done so much for us." Makoto was nothing short of caring, either. Haru and the others had replied with something similar, Haru's response being for him to come up to the school rooftop tomorrow if he ever wanted to talk.  
  
"….." Akechi replied. "You're so helpful. Those dots really helped contribute to the conversation. Thanks a lot, Akechi," replied Makoto.  
  
"...My apologies. He's at work right now, and I believe he's working both shifts. I met up with him not that long ago. …I just wish he would tell us what's going on…"  
  
At this moment, Akira shut off his phone, with a wince. He didn't have the time to deal with them. He just had to be as honest as a student he could be, and hopefully his probation would be over quicker than he anticipated.  
  
...He vanished. Faster than Akechi could register. With a relieved sigh, the ravenette's polished black fingernails had interwoven through the fresh, messy locks of his hair as he scratched in between, the locks flaring upwards in response as he began fluttering his feminine lashes - in a blinking sort of fashion as he entered Cafè Leblanc, timidly forcing the door open.

7:02 P.M.

Sunday, 

  
  
_...Sunday what?_

  
The raven asked himself, perking himself up as he made his way up the stairs, unable to see the month and date due to how hazy his vision was, realizing that, it was, in fact, a couple more days until Christmas as the Phantom Thief's grey hues scanned the screen. Christmas Eve was right around the corner, wasn't it? He felt like he could snatch it, free, clear - in his frisky little hands. Take it all back. His freedom. Masayoshi Shido was being interrogated by the police at the moment, and, well, he thought, soon enough, _his_ own prosecutor, Sae would already be flippant and excited to investigate the case. All he had to do was remain calm. Morgana sat down on the windowsill, and from here, he could hear the rain coming down in harsh sheets against the outside of the window. The light he feels, standing near the entrance, was rejuvenating as the mellow brightness fell on the obsidian-haired boy's pale, soft skin, the rain cascading down and pelting against the window like sleet as the Persona-user of the Magician Arcana's bright, beady blue eyes faced the glass.  
  
Morgana's tail swished side to side, almost as if he was analyzing, _studying_ the outside of the window as a whole, knowing of his companion's presence when he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps up the stairs. The only source of light from the darkened atmosphere is the lamp situated near the stygian, caliginous far side of the room - which was the seat he sat down at and made infiltration tools. Frost grew over the windows, and the sound of rain is refreshing, a calm ambiance he could relax his body to. He watches the ice crystals form near the top of the large window, allowing his mind to clear itself as the sounds of rain began to echo throughout his ears, letting the goth remain content, drifting in a blank state as he stands still and flutters his lashes closed.  
  
_It's... It's all too satisfying._ The one word he'd use to describe the ambiance around him was _soft._ It was starting to snow, it seemed. He had no issue with that. He was overjoyed, really. Maybe he'd get to spend the winter with the rest of the Phantom Thieves as their final celebration - throwing snowballs at eachother, laughing as the icy feeling drifted against their faces, wearing layers and layers of attire as they built snowmen together. Happiness. That's all he can think about at the moment. Even if he was treated so terribly — _he clutches his wrist at this and winces_ — he's still going, isn't he? He wants to wear all the gothic clothing he could get his hands on. He wants to get more beauty marks **—** more moles, almost as if they were achievements of some sorts.

He just wants to go out of his way to selflessly help his friends in any way he can, even risking himself in the process - maybe even his life. And, if they don't think he's worthy, so what? He'll prove that he is. The bespectacled delinquent readjusted his glasses, the atmosphere in the room comes with a feeling the opposite of bitterness - he feels... like he belongs here. Kurusu hums in contentment as he basks in this tranquil state, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever. 

The silent protagonist was suddenly interrupted from this state from the owner of an affectionate voice **—** but, more agitated and alarming than that, to be precise. "Hey! You gonna wake up or what? Don't just stand there. It's getting late."   
  
Akira's curls flared up as he averted his head to the side frantically, and then the opposite way, until he settled on the figure in front of him, fluttering his lashes. He blinked a couple times, then squinted calmly, a light smile still plastered on his lips as he looked up at the Velvet Room attendant, beginning to speak. It was true - Morgana was the creature sent by Igor to help the Trickster on his adventures. After all, the Fool Arcana _is_ the void from which all other things begin. " _...Ah... I-I..._ " He isn't really sure what to say...  
  
A pair of arms suddenly wraps around Morgana's waist as the cat averted his head to the side as he felt Akira snuggling up against him, keeping him close to his chest. "...What of it?"  
  
" _..._ " Kurusu fell silent, and his face fell into a wince again, the darkness and ambiance of the atmosphere too chilling for him. " _...Sorry. I just need this right now._ " Of course - Morgana's the only fluffy thing in sight, and really, well - the only person to, sort of vent his emotions to. "...God, you reek of coffee." " _...Sorry that my scent is perfection,_ " he replies. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, you goth."

He stays like this for a few moments, both of their bejeweled-glossed gazes directed towards the window, the sound of rain prominent, _almost as if a certain song could fit here..._ as well as some snow beginning to form from ice crystals. The pitch-black cat doesn't mind this at all. He could stay like this for a while, be his leverage for some time. After all, they were friends. The messy-haired teen's lips spread a bit, his mind blanking as he closed his eyes, beginning to slowly drift to sleep.  
  
"...You should really tell the others that you're okay." Obviously.  
  
"...But you're not, though, so... I mean, you seem like it? I'm really sorry for what you went through... I can only imagine what they'd done to you, before Akechi stormed in that room with the intent to kill."  
  
As soon as he heard his voice, Akira jolted awake as his shoulders perked up and his eyes became livelier than they had once been. Morgana notices first, and the cat yawned, pawing at his face with a smirk. "...You really almost fell asleep on me? ...Tch. Well, I think it's time for us to go to sleep, anyway." " _...Not after I finish my manicure! And then, I have to clean my face, and re-polish my nails black again, because the paint is kind of coming off._ "  
  
"With the amount of time you have, you can only do, like, two of those things. And they're essentially the same thing." " _..._ _Fine. I'll just polish my nails again, then._ " The fluffy-haired outcast looked away at his shelf with decorations, looking at his display of several different prototypes of black nail polish. He slid up his sleeves, revealing his bruises and scars, before taking one off the shelf with a motivated glint in his eyes. A sigh escapes the Phantom's lips as he situated himself down near the table, setting one hand down as he began to paint each fingernail over, one by one.  
  
And then, he did it to the other hand, too. With how many times he'd done it this year, he already thought of himself as a professional at it. "...Akira," the voice asks again, his tail swishing yet again. " _...Yeah?_ " "Who're you gonna spend Christmas with? Oh, oh! I wanna spend mine with Lady Ann! Hopefully we can all do some fun activities when it's done snowing, too."   
  
" _...I'd like that._ " he replied softly, casual, his husky voice filling the air. Sounded fun to him. The dim shadow of the lamplight seems to capture his features so wonderfully it could make you writhe in awe - and the way his curls framed his face ever so perfectly added to his natural beauty.   
  
Akira let his nails dry, and twisted it back and put it back on the shelf, shaking his hands out. And, now, a shower. This goth can manage that, at least, in the very limited time frame he has before Morgana comes screaming at him.  
  
Moments later, he's out, with a towel wrapped around his waist, as fresh and as good as can be. His messy curls were more defined this way. " _...I forgot my clothes." "_...You always do that... yet, you always reek of coffee, delinquent." " _...I do, hm?_ " The youth put on his regular night attire, pulling it out of the dusty cardboard box underneath the TV and switching clothes before he came back. Scrolling down the text messages of his phone with his eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed beneath his glasses, Morgana spread his mouth to say something, but then stopped. He must be looking at the rest of the messages from the group chat.   
  
It almost feels as if he has a clawed, serrated hand around his neck, almost as if it belongs to a demon. Not just that, but _choking_ him. Constricting, faster, almost as if it was culling imaginary wings of his - brilliantly. Choking him until he couldn't breathe. He sat against the wall of his bed, losing conscience, trying to breathe, the dizzying feeling, and _ah_ , it... _hurts,_ and it felt like his lungs were being constricted by chains. His sight was hazy and blurry, feeling the need to close his eyes, to let the darkness consume him. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his leg tightened all of a sudden - the shock factor too much for him to handle. His body tightened - and all he could see were stars as he went limp, cold. A sudden rush of fear sprang through his body, his mind panicking for air, just for _air._  
  
But Akira had no will to fight it anymore.   
  
He let the ocean take him, and keep him.  
  
"...Akira!? AKIRA!"

It's like talking to a brick wall, only... it's not there. You're talking to a pit of nothingness. And it won't respond, no matter how hard you try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh this was so fun to write,, i actually got over 3k words this time when 3,000 was my goal so i'm proud,, we stan a goth king we'll never get tired of his hoe ass!
> 
> the cats will come back i promise akira's just looking a little HMMMMMMM SHADY
> 
> thank you for reading as always!! my twitter is J0K3ROfHearts!! don't be shy to message me, i may look intimidating but i'm really not!!
> 
> sorry for leaving you on that cliffhanger its just 1 am and i need SLEEP and also akira's ptsd anxiety caught up to him lol


	3. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our wonderful fluffy-haired delinquent has a nightmare, and the events following after it, which risks his life - are even worse than the actual nightmare itself. Being injected five times with a needle against his will and beaten to death surely is worse than any old nightmare.
> 
> However, Yusuke, Akechi and Ryuji are aware of his leaving to juvenile hall, and don't know if they'll ever see him again. Individually, they leave him three Malice Mizer CD's after he returns from juvenile hall, which is his favorite band. (Malice Mizer is a Japanese visual kei rock group who specialized in gothic rock and often dressed in gothic outfits.) Little does he know, it brightens his mood a whole lot more, and makes him happy to actually want to be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> malice mizer!! malice mizer!!!! malice MIZER

A blur. Because, well, clearly - that's all he remembers. Everything's a haze to the messy-haired boy - he'd forgotten to remove the lipstick from his lips. Ah, well - he moved in his sleep so much he was situated onto his pillow - well, _moreso unconsciousness -_ and Morgana had made the effort to tuck him in by tugging the blanket with his mouth and paws over the exhausted leader of the Phantom Thieves. The Magician removed his glasses in the process as well, and sighed, having already leapt off of the mattress to cut off the faint lamplight he had on before returning into the other's arms to go to sleep himself.  
  
Morgana's paw hovered over his eyelids, closing them shut further as he moved closer to the goth's heart with a purr. _…Still alive. Good._ His ears perk up, and he smiles eagerly, backing away before situating himself into a laying down position, nuzzling into his neck as he licked at his face with his sandy-textured tongue once. Granted, if Akira was not in his subconscious right now, he would have felt it. Whatever Morgana's doing isn't enough to wake him up, since he seems to be knocked out, cold - his expression peerless as his lips spread in the process.  
  
...Suddenly, there the transfer student's standing. The leader of the Phantom Thieves, covered in blood, a human's blood, breathing uncontrollably, his curly, messy jet black bangs covering his eyes, his legs bent as he had also lost a considerable amount of weight. His deathly pale skin from the lack of sleep he'd been suffering and the dark, accentuated circles beneath his steeled, tinged red eyes beneath black-rimmed, circular glasses only made him look even crazier. His hair was messier, flaring wildly in response as his gloved hand with the knife he'd used to kill the person in the dark, peerless room was shaking, his hand more than willing to let it go. Not because he'd realized he'd killed a person - he was _more_ than willing to kill this one - but because he didn't want the others to witness what he had just done.  
  
It was too late.  
  
He tries to escape before they can discover the evidence, but Ann, Akechi - and all the others step in the dark, cloudy room with the problematic thief cornered, timid, scared.  
  
In his Shujin outfit, he hesitated to drop the knife as soon as he was yelled at, more because _it tears him down more than anything, and the other because he thinks what he's done is justified._ There was something in his eyes that they all could see, as if he was trying to scream out to them as a plead for help but he couldn't - his mouth couldn't open. A hint of regret, vulnerability, and pain. He tried to speak, but his attempt was overshadowed by Akechi's own pain and anger, the anger that _he_ had betrayed _them._  
  
"...You truly are a criminal. You're _worthless_."  
  
_Worthless, worthless.…._  
  
Those words stuck in his head and kept echoing… no matter how hard he pleaded for it not to be true, no matter how hard he squirmed and tried to refuse it - it still seemed to linger; to be _true._  
  
" _…I..._ "  
  
He managed one word; and his voice cracked, his husky voice dry and raspy, yet unusually deep like it normally is. His eyebrows furrowed as he broke eye contact with the detective that scared him so much, instead staring down at the decomposing corpse beside him, clutching his knife as he shook, not daring to say another word.  
  
" _...The leader of the Phantom Thieves… I expected nothing like this from you. I admired you. Why did you do this? I thought you helped people. You were their savior… I wonder how your reputation would break out if people knew the truth, hm? Do you in any way care to explain yourself?_ " Akira doesn't look like he's going to comply in any shape or form, and for a moment, it looked like there were tears in his eyes.  
  
That's because there was. He was _crying._  
  
"...Akira, how long have you been doing this?" Ann suddenly spoke up, stepping out of the cloudy, phantasmal darkness. The Thieves' clenched their fists, unable to forgive him for his actions. They didn't dare to interrupt Ann's outbursts. "…I... Thought I could trust you!" Her voice was so loud… he hated loud noises… "We all thought we could trust you! You're our _LEADER!!"_  
  
Briefly, he held his bruised wrists, a ring of red surrounding it as Ann picked up something small from the darkness and threw it at him with everything she had. He winced as it hit his cheek, razing it as it formed a cut before bouncing off, feeling the area where it hit bleed as he felt himself growing weaker. It was something akin to a rock, but harder than normal.  
  
_...Please don't hurt me… I don't want to hurt anymore… Please, don't hurt me… I'm begging you…_  
  
Both of Akira's eyes closed, and he swallowed, before reopening them.  
  
"...Stop it… Please…" It was more than just an action of begging. It was more than just a cry for help. It was a request. For his friends, no less.  
  
".…I'll never forgive you… What did they do to you in that interrogation room!? It couldn't have been good, damnit, so _SPEAK!_ "  
  
"..."  
  
"...Ann, he's scared… You're scaring him," Makoto quietly muttered, but then stopped talking afterward.  
  
The blonde sighed, trying to compose herself. "…Sorry. Akira, talk to us."  
  
"..."  
  
"...If you won't speak, don’t bother coming back, you hear me? We offered you help, but you don't seem like you want it. You are now a branded enemy of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts! If I see you again, I-I-I--" She threw out her finger at him, pointing at him as if _she_ was crying, too.  
  
She wouldn't.  
  
" _I'll kill you, Akira Kurusu! I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU…!_ "  
  
His knife fell out of his hands. He felt like he could collapse to his knees _right now._  
  
She spoke those words with the ferocity of a thousand knives, cutting deep into his skin with precision. Rage and anger and guilt was laced into her words, seeing herself unable to forgive him. How could she have trusted a murderer for so long?  
  
"What did you think you were doing? Did you do that to… To protect us!?"  
  
_...Yes,_ he thought despairingly, his bangs still covering his eyes as his gaze brought a cloudy light as he divided the curls out of his eyes and began looking at her.  
  
"You TOOK OUR TRUST FOR GRANTED! You… you…!"  
  
"...Ann...!" Makoto pulled her back as the blonde screamed in an act to vent her frustrations. Not because she wanted to cover up what the goth had done, but in an act to protect him because he just seemed so vulnerable. …Maybe he didn't just murder someone to murder someone.  
  
More tears slipped down his face as his lip quivered, and slipped away into the darkness, running away as he turned his back, limping from his almost-broken leg, never to be seen again.  
  
This doesn't seem to be right. That… was… a _dream?_  
  
Akira awakened from blacking out from the injection in his arm, in which was too much for his body to handle. He hated needles. Especially from the people he didn't even know. When they initiated it, he whined, screamed, squirmed - _begged,_ but all he could see was the needle coming closer and closer _and closer_ against his will. …Today was… Christmas? He jerked upright, panicked, but his wrists refused to move as he was handcuffed again, right on top of the bruises the handcuffs from his last interrogation. He moved his head as he bit at the chains of the handcuffs, as if that would work to free himself, under narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.  
  
His hazy gaze slowly began to diminish, as well as the serum making his memory fade from him and failing to make him remember anything, feeling his consciousness slip more and more. But there was more than one person in the room, and, regardless if he'd remembered them being in the room or not, they had sent a powerful kick straight into the center of his stomach, swearing he had heard his ribs crack, and he was screamed at for not hearing him when he had awoken. Again, he hated loud noises. He coughed, the kick sending the wind out of him as he was sent - as well as the chair he sat on - flying across the floor. The back of his head hit the wall - cold, and he tasted this metallic flavor in his mouth briefly _\- his own blood_. It opened up a wound, and he felt blood trickle down his head. Softly, the Trickster's lips spread, weak and submissive. The interrogator's sharp, defiant eyes turned into a twisted smile, taking his hair and yanking him closer as he spat out blood on the floor beside him. …Too… much blood… "…You will tell us everything we want to know, _you hear me?_ _"_  
  
Akira's eyes only closed painedly, the interrogator expecting him to nod his head in compliance before he landed a swift deck to his face - enough to knock him backwards as it formed a bruise on top of the one he'd had before, and Akira groggily fell to the floor, his bloodied curls laying down above the tiles as he started to close his eyes, his submissive, weak state giving his orbs a darker shade.  
  
All he could think about right now were his cats. His… children. The dark-haired teen wanted to be by their side and hug all of them.  
  
"...Sit UP!"  
  
His foot slammed down this time on his neck as he tried to breathe, cutting off everything as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He began shivering, _shaking_ violently in fear - maybe it was because of how much they'd drugged him. Twice, so far. He panted on the ground lifelessly as he clutched at his neck as they removed the pressure, and he tried not to cry, his black, polished nails digging into the skin in desperation.  
  
"You acted as the leader of the Phantom Thieves that undermined our society… Is that correct?"  
  
" _…I... Don't remember…_ "  
  
It wasn't a lie, though - whatever they had injected into him was making his mind blank and his memory fade from him. Remorselessly, he raised his foot and stomped down on his left leg, putting as much pressure as possible on it as he cried out and screamed. He tried shuffling away, holding his leg instead of his bruised neck, desperately trying to free himself from it, but he soon stopped once he was sure he heard a crack.  
  
"Don't lie! Inject him again!"  
  
There was, in fact, more than one person in the room. Tears began to sting at his eyes as he blinked, his eyelashes wet as he screamed again, shaking his head violently and desperately as he looked at them - unable to form words. He didn't want to be injected again.  
  
His arms reached out and his hands wrapped around their pants leg as he tried to persuade them into not doing it. " _Please... I-I'll answer..._ " He choked on his own blood, resulting in him spitting out another mouthful of it.  
  
Akira was forced into a position on his chest, pinned down to the floor as they rolled up his sleeve and injected him with another dose of the truth serum - shoving it violently into his already bruised arm as his eyes widened and he screamed - he'd done that a lot, hasn't he? He sobbed, gagging on his own spit as his eyes closed as he took it, weakly letting his head collapse to the floor, groaning in the process as he bit his lip, to suppress the pain. He was really crying now.  
  
No wonder he didn't trust a lot of people.  
  
"Come on, mole-ly boy. Are you going to talk to us properly, now?" he hissed, his voice snake-like. Indeed, he had noticed his many moles. He waited for him to sit up, though it seemed he was struggling to do so.  
  
"...As leader of the Phantom Thieves, you committed a number of crimes. You _are_ getting transferred to juvenile hall after this, after all, so there's no need to think you'll be using this as video evidence," he insinuated, catching the thief they'd captured's eyes trailing up to the camera.  
  
"You were quite the star of the show. You enjoyed every single second of it, didn't you?"  
  
The fluffy-haired raven made a noise in discomfort as his eyes were narrowed to the lowest capacity, his hues visible in the corners of his eyes as his handcuffs were removed. They'd beat him enough to make him not want to move, they thought, and that's just what they did. He felt…  
  
... _Broken._  
  
He took too long to answer.  
  
"Stupid fucking brat! _Answer already!_ " And, with that, he stomped on the top of his head and kept him pinned to the floor.  
  
"…I don't... _know…"_ he answered honestly, sobbing when he'd pronounced the last words, crying even more.  
  
The same people held his arm out, which just made him cry out even more in fear, and another rolled his other arm's sleeve up, right near the area where the handcuffs had cut his wrist. No. _No. Not again…!_ He squirmed, moved, jerked - he wanted to do _anything but_ get injected again - but be had no choice as they slapped him. "Stay still! Come on, freeze!" The tears didn't stop flowing, and the needle pierced into his skin painfully, and he felt even more nauseous as it flowed through his bloodstream, biting his lip as he yelped in agony.

"Oh, would you _shut_ up so we can get this over with?"  
  
Akira's breathing became more harsh, and he breathed with more intensity and brewed hatred. "…Go to _hell…_ "  
  
"What the _hell_ did you just say to me, brat!?" He kicked him in the stomach, slamming him into the wall behind him as a large portion of blood flew out of his mouth and onto the floor, choking on it right after. That hopefully gave him something to think about.  
  
"...Illegal entry into the Madarame residence and Okumura Foods, destruction of property… Ah, and the broadcast signal intrusion the other day was in violation of the Radio Law. There are some other infractions as well…"  
  
"On top of all that, you have a past history of crime, correct?" The dark-haired teen nodded, his conscience failing him. He needed to comply.  
  
". . .We will transfer you in the upcoming days, then." They uncuffed him, and Akira struggled to move on his own, forcing himself up on his other leg first, and supporting himself on his supposedly almost-broken one as he hazily stood up, getting no support. He looked… around. He fell back down in an instant, unable to stand without getting used to it or limping.  
  
His visage fell to black, into a sea of nothingness, into a dark abyss. The world swirled around him, and he saw nothing, felt nothing. At that moment, the world went black.  
  
\--  
  
"...Hey! Wake up!" They shook him. Nothing. Blood splattered out of his mouth as he collapsed, and his face went unnaturally pale.  
  
"...Damn it! How much did we give him!?" " _…Gave him an injection on the way here, sir. As well as when we captured him._ "  
  
"...That's way too much! He's way too young to handle all of that! At this rate, he'll-"  
  
" _We'll lose him._ "  
  
"And you're just going to say that so _casually!?_ He's overdosing! Give him the damn antidote! We wouldn't want a… dead child taking a toll on our reputations!" Because, that's all they care about. Reputation.   
  
They wasted no time to jab another needle with the liquid into his arm. It seemed to be enough, at least, for him not to die and overdose on the medication.

What seemed like forever had passed, and he had already been through a month of juvenile hall. Well, to say the least - he wasn't sure when he would leave and meet his friends again, but he would go through anything for them. Especially if that meant losing his life.  
  
  
EARLY MORNING  
\- CAFÉ LEBLANC -

  
As he heard the doorbell ring from above the doorframe, his bejeweled, dark grey irises laced with curiosity froze - seeing as nobody was in the place. It was completely empty. Not even Sojiro was there. Well, he _was_ the one who brought him back here from juvenile hall, and didn't decide to stay, since today he chose to take the day off and close up shop. Though, he did notify him to contact all of his friends, and that some of them left gifts for him up on his highly decorated shelf.  
  
Akira's first designation was already clear as he made his way up the stairs, Morgana seemingly nowhere in sight, either.

He watered his fake plant and gave it nutrients, and over the entirety of his room, where it was spiced up with black and white - he had seen three new CD albums sitting on the shelf.  
  
_Malice Mizer._  
  
On all three CD's were notes. The first one - from Yusuke, in his beautiful, artistic handwriting.  
  
" _Hello, Akira. I probably won't ever get to see you again or experience anything else with you anytime soon, but I couldn't help but be enamored by your enthusiasm for the gothic rock band, Malice Mizer. It always caught my attention how much you enjoyed them, how you would explain to me in great detail about them. Often, it made me more motivated to continue doing anything creative. Hence, I went out of my way and got this for you. I hope you enjoy it. It took me a while to gather the funds to purchase it, but when I saw it in an old record shop, I couldn't help but think of you. Thank you. P.S., look on the back, I drew Mana for you!_ "  
_  
Love,_

_Yusuke"_  
  
"…" He blushed. Oh, jeez. The Phantom's cheeks were really red now.  
  
As his grey gaze scanned over the next note, the messy-haired second-year mumbled to himself, " _…awh, you guys… You didn't have to…_ " and he'd finally seen the small picture of Mana he'd drawn on the back in detail. He'd be sure to cherish it forever.  
  
" _Hey, um, Akira. ..I just want to say thank you, y'know? You're, like, my everything, dude. Without you, I'd never be where I am today. ..I don't even know what I'd do without you. I miss you. ..Come back safe, alright? If you do read this and all, I got you a Malice Mizer CD. Me, Akechi and Yusuke agreed that we'd get you them as gifts. I'm not the best financially-wise - but it was hella expensive, and when I saw it, I was reminded of how much of a dork you were for them. I really hope you're okay - I… I love you. …Like a bro, you know? It's like that!_  
  
_Love, or whatever,_  
 _Ryuji_ "  
  
_Isn't he aware his ellipses are off sometimes in this note? Seems like I'll have to teach him a thing or two. I know he's not the best grammatically-wise, though._  
  
...Next up, Akechi's letter. The one he saved for last. The one he _never_ wanted to touch or read.  
  
" _Salutations, Akira. If you saved this note for last, then I'm aware of the reason. I deeply apologize. Though, I'm not sure if you'll ever see this, but even if you hate me, let me say this: I know what I did was wrong. I know that you may never forgive me for what I've done. If you hate me, you're allowed to. I still like you a lot in my heart, and you… mean so much to me. You were my first ever friend. I didn't have any friends, growing up as an orphan, when I was tossed back and forth between foster cares. I never stayed long enough at orphanages to have any friends. …None of them ever were as interesting as you, however. Thank you for the memories. Please enjoy my gift, Akira! I hope you like it!_  
  
_Love,_  
 _Goro_ "  
  
" _...This is so sweet,_ " the Trickster mumbled. Maybe he felt more calm about Akechi when he wasn't around.  
  
" _…I should ask if he wants me to call him Goro. …Maybe he's as sweet as he says he is._ " Either way, he's sort of warming up to him.  
  
It was still snowing. He laid down to not put as much pressure on his leg anymore, and closed his eyes, the feeling of his own bed refreshing enough to rejuvenate him.  


**Author's Note:**

> (akira is a Cat King hc thing i guess?? im really excited to be throwing this stuff out especially with some ideas my brain decided to randomly generate and along with a friend's help aka @eyrist)


End file.
